OWN to air 'Roots 35 Years Later' special

A few weeks ago we reported that Oprah’s OWN network would be targeting a black audience, and they’ve certainly made a big start in following through with that decision. According to a recent press release, we can now look forward to “Oprah and the Legendary Cast of ‘Roots’ 35 Years Later,” airing Monday, January 16 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,

Hosted by Oprah Winfrey at her home in Montecito, California, the television event brings together many of the legendary cast members from the series, including Cicely Tyson and LeVar Burton, as well as Leslie Uggams, John Amos, Louis Gossett, Jr. and Ben Vereen. With original clips from Roots serving as their backdrop, the cast shares with Oprah their personal accounts of working on the extraordinary series, as well as taking part in television history. “Roots” forever changed television. For the first time, TV viewers white and black experienced a part of American history through the eyes of slaves. For many it marked an awakening… and for the participating actors and actresses, it was nothing short of a spiritual experience.

Doesn’t it almost seem like they had a meeting at OWN to brainstorm “stuff that black people like” and came up with Roots? I look forward to seeing the special because I ride or die for Cicely Tyson and Louis Gossett Jr, but I can’t help but be tickled by the effort.